We Came As Romans Thrill Sold Out Chicago Crowd in Album Release Tour “DARKBLOOM’
Written & Captured By | Miguel Peralta
We Came As Romans arrived to Chicago for their 21st stop of the Album Release tour. A sold out crowd gathered outside the House of Blues hours before doors open eager for the show.
Brand of Sacrifice and ERRA Set the tone of the night. With Brand of Sacrifice starting off with an intense and technically proficient deathcore set. Kyle Anderson is showing great potential to become a prominent vocalist in the genre, with his impressive stage presence and deep vocal style. Despite only having two albums, they’ve made a bigger impact with each tour they’ve taken on.
See more photos of Brand of Sacrifice HERE
ERRA then followed with a well-constructed set that incorporated elements of progressive metalcore, including breakdowns that shook the subwoofers, a constant stream of riffs, and vocal styles that blended clean and unclean vocals, straddling the line between metal and post-rock.
See more photos of ERRA HERE
At just before 9 PM, We Came As Romans started their set with the energetic and intense track “Daggers” from their album Darkbloom. Shortly after starting, lead singer Dave Stephens left the stage and was held up by the enthusiastic crowd as they sang along with him. They continued with three more songs from Darkbloom, and then transitioned smoothly into the Cold Like War portion of the show with performances of “Lost In The Moment”, “Wasted Age”, and the album’s title track. The band then seamlessly moved into songs from their Tracing Back Roots album, which is known for its powerful lyrics and breakdowns. The high-energy title track was followed by “Hope”, a personal favorite, and the epic “Fade Away”. After a fan vote, they performed “Learning To Survive” from Cold Like War. Throughout the entire performance, the band maintained their energy and intensity without faltering.
See more photos of We Came As Romans HERE
The most emotional and poignant part of the show followed, with the band playing “One More Day” from Darkbloom. This particular track is a tribute to the late Kyle Pavone, and even from the back of the room, the raw emotion of each band member was palpable. The cathartic moment was followed by a burst of ferocity, as the band launched into “Doublespeak”, “Plagued”, and the unapologetically fierce “Darkbloom”. As the band left the stage, the audience was left confused as they returned, seemingly playing the same song once again. However, it quickly became clear that it was Brand of Sacrifice who had taken to the stage and given their own brutal rendition of the title track. To close out the night, We Came As Romans gave a powerful performance of “Black Hole”, one of the standout tracks from Darkbloom.
The band’s united goal to turn their darkness into light was on full display, and Tonight’s show only further solidified their reputation as a powerful and dynamic live act.